campbell



'(No Model.) y 2 sheetssheen C. H. CAMPBELL. ACETYEENE GAS GENERATOR.

Patented Mar. 22, 1898.

l f f f f Yo-Llmo.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

(No Modem v l v 2 sheets-sheet 2.

C. H. CAMPBELL.y

AGETYLENB GAS GENERATOR.

Patented Mr. 22, 1898.

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UNITED 'Sanres PATENT i OFFICE.

CHARLES H. CAMPBELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUND R. BULKLEY, TRUSTEE, OF SAME PLACE. l

ACETYLENEgGAs GENERATOR. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,985, dated March 22, 1898. Application fled December 28,1896. Serial No. 617,163. c (No model.) Patentedn England May 15, 1897, No. 12,120.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. CAMPBELL, a citizen ofy the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in vAcetylene-Gas Generators, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 12,120, dated May 15, 1897,) of which the folL lowing is a'specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

The object yof my invention is'to provide a gas-generator in which the volume or quantity of gas'manufactured will be automatically regulated and controlled by the falling and rising of the gasometer, and is designed more especially for the generation of acetylenegas from calcium carbid, although it may also be employed to regulate the volume of any gas. Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a gas-generator constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of a detail on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional elevation of the regulating-cone on the line 3 3, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is asectional elevation on the line 4 t, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modification of the invention. In carrying out my invention I employ calcium carbid which, in powdered or lump form, is introduced into a chamber provided above the generating-chamber. The generator is partially lled with water and the calcium carbid is gradually fed into the generator in lsuch quantity as may be required to keep up a constant supply of gas, the volume of generated gas acting through intervening regulating mechanism to automatically feed 'the carbid to the generator in the required quantity and at all times to maintain a substantially uniform volume of gas in the gasomel ter, the falling of the gasometer causing the feeding of a fresh supply of carbid to the generator and its rise resulting in a stoppage of the feed.- y

Referring to the drawings, A represents the generating-chamber lled with water to about the point shown, the supply of waterl being gaged and the chamber replenished,when nec- 5'0 essary, by'an auxiliaryopen-top vessel c, connected atgits bottom to the lower portion of the generator.

Above the generator is a closed chamber B, having a. removable cover b, adapted to receive the calcium carbid to be fed to the generator for the manufacture of the gas. In the bottom of chamber B is a feed-pipe c', connected by a vertical pipe c' to the top of the generator.

' In the feed-pipe is a screw conveyer D, carried and voperated by-a horizontal shaft d, which passes through a stuffing-box d at the end of the feed-pipe, the `turning of the screw gradually feeding the carbid from the bottom of the chamber B to the pipe c', through which it falls onto the surface of the water in the generator, resulting in the instantaneous manufacture of acetylene gas.

The pipe c has a gate-valve e, connected by a link c' to a lever E, fulcrumed to the Vlower portion of the chamber B, and this lever is also connected by a rod f to a yoke E, pivoted to the upper portion of the chamber B and extending over its cover. The result of this connection is that the operator finds it impossible to remove the cover b to renew the supply of carbid until he has first closed the valve e', so that there will be no danger of the escape of gas from the generator when the 'cover b is removed.

` The constant feeding of carbid results in an accumulation of spent carbid at the bottom of the generator and, in order to remove this without lowering the water-line, I connect the lower end of the generator by a pipe g toa removable box G. The pipe g is in two parts coupled by a union h, having on one side a recess or notch h. v

On a bracket secured to the pipe gis a fulcrum e' for a lever I, the latter being connected to a gate-valve in the pipe g, and on the lower end of the lever is a tongue i', adapted to enter the recess or notch h of the union h when said valve is open. Vhen the valve is closed, as shown, the tongue 71 is out of the notch in the union, and the latter may then be turned to uncouple the box Gand remove the sediment. If the valve is open, the tongue is within the notch or groove and it is impossible tol uncouple the box.

IOO

J represents a gasoineter, preferably pro- Y time for the cord to unwind around this vided with guiding-rods 7; and connected by a pipe K to the generator and by a pipe K to the house-pipes.

The ends of the pipe K at points within the generator and the gasometer are covered by wire-netting or foraminous-metal baskets 7c', filled with coke or other material, which act as strainers for the gas and prevent its carrying any water into the gasometer.

On top of the gasoineter is a vertical rod Z, carrying an arm m, to which is attached a cord ni, carrying at its lower end a weight M. This cord is turned around a spiraliy-grooved cone N, mounted loosely on the shaft d, the cone rbeing turned in one direction by the rising of the gasometer as the gas accumulates therein and by the weight M in the opposite direction ,asr the gasfis consumed and the gasometer sinks. The outer end of the shaft d finds a bearing in a bracket p, secured to the generator, and this bracket also carries a short shaft 9, on which is loosely mounted a pinion r.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the larger end of the cone forms an internal gear S, which intermeshes with the pinion r, the latter in turn inter-meshing with a pinion i', mounted loosely on the shaft (Z. The shaft d also carries a rigidly-secured ratchet-wheel fr, with which engages a pawl u, pivoted to one side of the pinion i.

In operation the generator being supplied with water and the chamber B with powdered calcium carbid the screw conveyerD is turned to feed sufficient carbid to the gasometer to ill the gasometer with gas. As the gasometer rises it results in the turning of the cone N in the direction of the arrow, Fig. a, the weight M ascending and the cone turning loosely without effecting the rotation of the shaft d. The greater the rise of the gasometer the farther the cord will rise on the cone, traveling in the spiral groove of the cone and gradually reaching its greatest diameter. This movement must cease as the supply of carbid is shut off during all the rising movement of the gasometer and no gas is being generated. lVhen the supply of gas in the gasometer passes out through pipe K and is gradually consumed, the gasometer sinks, permitting the weight to revolve the cone N in the opposite direction. The internal gear s of the cone transmits this movement through the pinion fr, pinion if, and pawl u to the ratchet-wheel t', and the latter being Xed to the shaft d immediately revolves said shaft, turns the conveyer D, and feeds a quantity of the powdered carbid to the generator A. This movement alternates with the manufacture and consumption of gas, and as both are graduated the volume of gas in the gasometer must at all times remain the same.

It will be noted that when the supply of gas is greatest the cord m is nearest the greatest diameterof the cone, and it will take a long large portion-that is` to make the cone revolve once, so that the shaft and screw will be slowly revolved and the supply of carbid will be small. lVhcn, however, the supply of gas is low, the cord is then nearest the smaller diameter of the cone, as shown in Fig. I, and it will then take a much shorter time for the weight to revolve the cone andthe carbid will be fed at greater speed, as it is needed then to replenish the supply of gas. The cone may be replaced, if desired, by a simple sleeve N', as shown in Fig. 5, connected by a pawl u. to a ratchet-wheel e', secured to the shaft d, the cord passing directly around the sleeve and the action being similar to that described with reference to the cone.

In use I employ the carbid in powdered form, so as to gain the best and quickest results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters 'Pats ent, is

1. In a gas-generator, a generating-chamber, a chamber for containing calcium carbid having a feed-pipe at its base with a conveying-pipe leading into the upper end of said generatiiig-chamber, a rotatable conveyer in said feed-pipe, a gasometer in communication with said gen erating-chamber,and mechanism connected with said gasometer and said conveyer for rotating the latter at a variable rate of speed and in proportion to the gas in the said gasometer.

2. A generating-chamber, a calcium-carbid supply-chamber having a removable cover and provided with a lateral extension with a depending` pipe leading into said generatingchamber, a valve in said depending pipe, a yoke extending over said cover and a lever, each pivoted to the wall of said supply-chamber and connections between said lever and said yoke and valve for the purpose described.

3. A generating-chamber having a sectional outlet-pipe, a valve in one of said sections, a coupling for said sections having a notch in one side thereof, a lever fulerumed on the valve-section and having the said valve connected therewith and provided with a tongue entering said notch.

4. A gas-generator consisting of a generating-chamber, a gasometer in communication therewith, a calcium-carbid supply-chamber with a pipe leading into said generating-chamber, mechanism connected with said gasoineter for automatically discharging the contents of said supply-chamber into said generating-chamber at a variable rate of speed, and means connected with said generatingchamber for automatically keeping a supply of water therein.

5. The combination of the gas-generator, a chamber for containing calcium carbid, a screw conveyer for forcing the calcium carbid from the chamber to the generator, a gasometer, a cone connected to the screw con- IOO IIO

veyer and 'constructed to revolve the latter in one direction o only, said cone 'being operatively connected to the gasometer.

6. The combination of the gas-generator, a

chamber for .Y containing calcium carbid, a screw conveyer for forcing the calcium carbid from the chamber into the generator, a shaft' carrying said conveyer, a cone mounted on said shaft, a pawl-andratchet mechanism connecting the shaft and cone,-a gasometer,

' carrying said screw conveyer, a ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft, apinion loosely mounted on; said y,shaft andcarrying la pawl adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, a grooved cone` vmountedloosely on the shaft, an internal gear vformed within or secured to the cone, a stationary gear connecting said internal gear to the pinion on the conveyer-shaft, a gasometer, and a weighted cord carried by the gasometer and passing around said grooved cone, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the generator, a sediment-chamber G removably connected to the lower end of said chamber, a pipe-union having a notch or recess, a valve between the generator and the sediment-chamber, and a lever adapted to operate said valve, said lever havinga tongue adapted to enter the notch or recess of the pipe-union, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof =I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 4

CHARLES H. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

EDMUND S. MILLS,

I. L. YOUNG. 

